108. How populism can improve democratic institutions

Dr. Horn is a philosopher who uses his philosophical training to analyze public policy. Writing for journals such as The Journal of Philosophy and Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, Walter has published many articles on topics such as metaphysics, epistemology, or the psychology of religion. He is also the author of Democratic Theory Naturalized, which deeply examines populism and power relations within a democracy. As a professor, Dr. Horn has taught at Brown University and Framingham State University. When he’s not busy writing about psychology or philosophy, our guest loves to write and analyze music and has several recorded albums.

I want to start off by asking you, what defines democracy? If I asked you, what makes a country a democracy, what would your answer be? Would it be free and fair elections? Checks and balances? Freedom of speech? Fair judicial processes with juries of your peers? The term democracy originates from Greece, “demos” meaning people, and “kratos” meaning rule. When the term was first coined, democracy was mostly practiced in Athens, which selected random citizens to fill judicial and administrative positions and had an assembly of all Athenian citizens to pass legislation.

I would define it as a distribution of power between different actors within society, from executive to legislative branches to corporations and consumers. Democracy is defined as rule by the people; but since its conception, society has always struggled to achieve a true democracy. Even in Athens, where the idea was born, democracy has never been fully achieved. For example, the legislative body I just mentioned excluded women and slaves from participating.

Turning to current times, we’ve seen democracies morph and change. The United States has gone through many changes and had its democratic institutions tested. Donald Trump, the 45th President, could potentially be convicted guilty of numerous charges while running for president, creating a potential constitutional crisis if he wins. He was also responsible for the insurrection on January 6th, creating profound legal questions about the constitutional power of presidents. But the executive branch isn’t the only feature of our government that is being questioned.

Some have begun to question certain aspects of our democratic institutions. One example is the Electoral College, a process where a body of electorates vote for both president and vice president in tandem with the popular vote. Another is the Supreme Court, where members hold life-long tenures, have very few checks or balances, and are nominated by presidents, not citizens. According to Gallup, 28% of adults are “satisfied with the way democracy is working in this country”. As these aspects of our government’s structure become increasingly criticized, it is fair to wonder how we can improve these institutions and make government more democratic. This is where Dr. Horn comes in.

To improve our system of government and create outcomes more beneficial to the public, Dr. Horn believes society needs a healthy dose of populism. Populism is a complex idea, usually harboring negative connotations from both the left and right. But to Dr. Horn, populism is a move toward radical democracy and the empowerment of people. Governments, democracies, and constitutions all change over time. But what these changes are, and who they impact, have lasting consequences on how we organize our society and decide who gets to make what decisions.

Dr. Horn earned his bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, and his Ph.D. from Brown University, both in philosophy.

Together, we discussed Dr. Horn’s definition of populism, how democratic reform can empower citizens, and why education is so important to achieving democratic outcomes.

To check out more of our content, including our research and policy tools, visit our website: https://www.hgsss.org/